


Reversal

by chrystallinity



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Universe Alteration, reverse!love square
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2016-01-12
Packaged: 2018-05-07 23:51:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5475197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chrystallinity/pseuds/chrystallinity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ladybug likes Chat Noir. Adrien likes Marinette.</p><p>(Basically everything still hurts but in a different direction.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Camaraderie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ladybug thinks of Chat Noir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was playing around with the idea of reversing the love square (instead of the canon, Adrien/Chat Noir would like Marinette, and Marinette/Ladybug would like Chat Noir), and this sort of just happened. I hope this works out; it was a little tricky switching around the romantic interests while still keeping everyone in character. This was really fun to write, though.

He was flirty. He was impulsive. He was a little full of himself. And if that weren’t enough, he had the most extensive arsenal of cringe-worthy feline puns. Somehow, Ladybug didn’t mind too much. There were times when she even found it _endearing_.

Despite how annoying he could be, Ladybug could count on him. Chat Noir was her partner, her right hand (or was it paw?), her most trusted ally. She had always been able to read him like a book, but she kept most of her speculations to herself. Ladybug liked to think that she saw Chat Noir in a different light than everyone else, although she was unaware of his true identity. 

Perhaps it was that last bit of mystery that drew her to him in the beginning. It was Ladybug’s idea to keep their identities hidden, for both their sakes, because there was no need for their relationship to get personal. The curiosity nagged her from time to time, but she tried to suppress it. They were supposed to be professional about this hero business and keep feelings out of it. Or at least, that’s what she kept having to tell herself.

Chat Noir genuinely enjoyed his superhero status. He sprang into action with a lopsided grin on his face, ready to face whatever dangers there may be. It seemed like he hadn’t a care in the world, so maybe she liked him because she wanted to be how he was. Ladybug had always felt as if the world were weighing on her shoulders, and for once, she’d like to set that burden aside. It was an impossible dream; she wouldn’t be Ladybug if she hadn’t decided to take on the responsibility.

Little by little, however, she became more enamored with Chat Noir. She didn’t notice when it started, but she realized that there were certain things ingrained into her mind: the way he moved, the sound of his laugh, the intensity in his eyes. One of the advantages of being able to decipher him was that she knew he cared for her as much as she did for him. The disadvantage was also knowing that he cared for her in a slightly different way. It was frustrating to keep her emotions in check when she didn’t know how to deal with them. Marinette was very fortunate that her alter-ego was able to keep her composure so well.

Ladybug was sure-footed about everything else. Transport yourself with a yo-yo? Cool. Fight evil akumas? Got it. Use a magical item that transforms into unpredictable objects during their greatest moments of need? If you insist. But in the end, it was Marinette who was behind the mask, and it was currently Marinette’s uncertainty that threatened to cloud Ladybug’s initial judgment. 

Would it be wise to act on feelings for someone when you only knew half of who they were? What if she didn’t even like the other side of him? Were her feelings invalid because she only knew Chat and not his secret identity as well? How did superheroes even go about dating in the first place? 

In the end, it was a risk she couldn’t bring herself to take. If confessing to Chat Noir turned out to be one disastrous mistake, she’d never forgive herself. He didn’t need to be bothered by the knowledge, no matter how difficult it became for her to keep the secret from him. There was no way she was going to jeopardize their amity out of her own selfishness. 

They were partners first, after all.

 

 


	2. Not Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien thinks about Marinette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this made me kinda sad because Adrien is my child and the idea of him pining over Marinette just hits me right in the heart.

When he thought of her, he couldn’t help but blush. His heartbeat spiked whenever he heard her voice. Each time he saw her it would take him a moment to get his brain working, hoping that maybe, just _maybe_ , they could have a real conversation for once. Eventually, Adrien may even be ready to confess just how smitten he was with this girl, but for now, he tried his best not to show it. He couldn’t afford to lose face over someone who wouldn’t return his feelings.

Adrien Agreste was the golden boy. He was athletic, intelligent, and well-liked. That was who he was supposed to be; his father would accept no one less as his son. And so, Adrien was diligent. He studied and he trained and he made it a point to be friendly and respectful. It was imperative that Adrien be a positive reflection of Gabriel Agreste’s parenting (however nonexistent such parenting actually was), but the more he tried not to make a fool of himself in front of _her_ , the more Adrien could feel his self-confidence slipping away.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

She was the only one who’d ever made him so weak in the knees. In his defense, his feelings didn’t start out anywhere near as intense. Marinette was cute, of course, but he told himself he couldn’t get distracted. Adrien had so many other things to worry about besides a silly little crush.

One time, however, he let his guard down and actually complimented her fashion designs. Her eyes lit up instantly. “You think so?” Marinette asked excitedly, knowing full well she was receiving praise from the heir of a fashion empire. “Thanks so much—that really means a lot!” She was beaming so brightly that Adrien’s breath caught in his throat, and he could barely manage a coherent response.

The poor kid never stood a chance against that smile.

After that, Adrien was always painfully aware of Marinette’s presence. He saw her stick up for others who fell victim to Chloe Bourgeois’ snide remarks, and he never once saw her put her own needs before her friends. She was a natural leader who tried her absolute best as class president to make everyone happy. Marinette was a down-to-earth girl with a big heart, and Adrien couldn’t help but fall for her. He knew Marinette didn’t reciprocate his feelings; she treated him the same as she treated their other classmates. But perhaps if he could find a way to get close to her without embarrassing himself, she’d begin seeing him differently.

His alter ego would never have this problem, he thought. Chat Noir could sweep his princess off her feet, and they’d live happily ever after like characters in the stories his mother used to read to him as a child. But life wasn’t a fairytale, and Adrien was no prince charming. He was no more than an ordinary kid struggling to get out of his father’s shadow.

Adrien wished that he could be Chat Noir all the time. He wanted to always be the hero, to spend his whole life protecting his city and the people he cared about. He wanted to let loose and shirk off the tedious responsibilities of back-to-back photo shoots and magazine interviews. He wanted to have enough nerve to finally ask out the girl that he liked. Chat Noir could do it for sure. The only problem was that Marinette didn’t know him as Chat Noir. She knew him as Adrien.

And he didn’t think that Adrien was good enough for her.

 


	3. Midnight in Paris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien's house is literally five minutes away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all of you who left such kind reviews! It's so nice reading all your guys' ideas. I think whtwlf is psychic or something because when I read that comment, I was already in the middle of writing this. It's not exactly a shippy kind of chapter, though.
> 
> Also, I didn't plan on this chapter being so long, but yeah.

It wasn’t like Adrien to sneak out of the house so late at night, but he somehow found himself sitting alone at a park bench in the corner of Place des Vosges. Well, Plagg was with him, too, but the kwami was irritated, and he didn’t make for very good company.

“Why do I have to be here?” Plagg complained, peeking out from under Adrien’s collar. “Can’t you just be sad at home like everyone else?”

Adrien simply glanced at Plagg without saying anything. 

Plagg frowned, floating up so that they were face to face. “You know, if you were going to sneak out, you might as well do something more exciting.”

“Plagg, not now,” Adrien sighed, slumping forward. 

“You’re the one who woke me up,” Plagg countered. “What was even the point of running away to this place when your house is just over there?”

“I just needed to be _out_.”

Maybe Plagg was right. Adrien should probably just return home and curl up in his bed instead of being pathetic out in the park, but returning home still wasn’t the most enticing idea. He leaned back against the bench, tilting his head up and trying to pick out the stars from the pitch black expanse of sky. Since he was already out here, he decided to try relaxing now and worrying later.

The young man wished that he had some profound reason for behaving so emotionally. Truth was, he was acting entirely on impulse. Adrien had actually planned to do something reckless. After being suffocated under his mountain of obligations, he was itching to rebel. Unfortunately, he just couldn’t quite muster up the nerve to do so. Transforming might have helped lower his inhibitions, but tonight, the young hero didn’t want to be anyone but plain old Adrien Agreste. He didn’t want to rely on his alter ego for this problem. Chat Noir was good for battling akumas, not teenage angst.

“Incoming,” Plagg sang nonchalantly, tucking himself away in Adrien’s shirt again.

Adrien straightened up to check for whomever might be passing by. His senses immediately went on high alert in case of danger, but there was no sign of anyone else in the park. No sound, no sudden movements. The teenager scoffed, thinking that Plagg was messing around with him. 

Just then, he saw a figure drop in from the sky, landing nimbly in front of the fountain. Adrien sprang to his feet and ran towards them to get a better look, ready to call Plagg for the transformation until he noticed the familiar shade of red illuminated by the street lamps.

He stopped in his tracks and blinked in disbelief. “Ladybug?”

A few seconds later, Adrien realized that she must have been on night patrol, something that she and Chat Noir were supposed to do together. And here Adrien was moping, having totally forgotten about such responsibility. He wondered how many times she must have called Chat before deciding to go alone. The guilt crept in, and Adrien groaned internally. He couldn’t believe he’d let his partner down over something so stupid.

The super-heroine turned her head sharply at the sound of her name. Ladybug squinted at him for a moment. Then her eyes widened in surprise.

“Adrien?” she asked. It sounded like she recognized him.

The blond stiffened. “You know my name?”

Ladybug cleared her throat. “I mean—it _is_ Adrien, right? You’re the boy who’s featured in most of Gabriel Agreste’s product advertisements.”

Adrien nodded. Of course that was how she knew him; that’s how pretty much everyone knew him. Adrien, son of Gabriel Agreste. “The one and only.”

“Although, all I really know about you is your name,” Ladybug mused, chuckling a little bit. She stopped and frowned at him. “It’s pretty late. Isn’t it a school night? Should you be out here by yourself?”

“My house is close by,” Adrien explained, scratching the back of his head.

“What about your parents?” The masked girl tilted her head to one side. “Won’t they be looking for you if they find out you’re gone at this hour?”

Ladybug was the last person with whom Adrien would think to talk about his parents. The idea made him slightly uncomfortable, even though she wouldn’t be able to connect anything he said to his alternative self. He tried changing the subject.

“Isn’t Chat Noir supposed to be with you?” Adrien asked her, looking around as if expecting Chat to also pop in.

The heroine crossed her arms and shrugged. “He was. Something important must have come up. I can’t get in contact with him.” Her face fell a little bit, but she caught herself. “Oh, sorry, you don’t want to hear about that.”

Adrien shook his head. “No, no, it’s fine.” Important, huh? There was the guilt again. “I’m sure he’ll make it up to you for skipping out.”

“Well, it’s not like patrol’s very hard compared to what we usually do, so I’m not mad.” Ladybug shrugged.

She wasn’t mad. That was good to hear. Somehow, it felt like she was directly talking to Chat Noir, although Adrien knew that wasn't the case. He felt part of him relax and let out a small sigh of relief.

Ladybug waved a hand in front of him. “Hey, there, are you okay?” She set her hands on her hips. “You’re spacing out.”

Adrien pulled back, startled. He hadn’t noticed that she’d stepped closer to him. “Uh, yeah! Never better.”

It wasn’t a very convincing reply, but Ladybug didn’t argue. Her eyebrows drew together in concern, and she pursed her lips like she was thinking hard about something.

“How about I take you home?” Ladybug offered. “You said your house isn’t far from here, right?”

“What?” Adrien realized too late that his outburst might have been a little too loud. “No, I couldn’t make you do that. I live just beyond those buildings.” He pointed across the square and over the structure that separated the Place des Vosges from his father’s estate. “It’s not a far walk.”

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Ladybug insisted. She brought out her yo-yo. “I promise I won’t drop you.”

Adrien hesitated. His pride almost didn’t allow him to accept, but he remembered that Ladybug wasn’t offering a favor to Chat Noir. She was offering a favor to Adrien, who didn’t have superhuman agility. He was just a regular civilian to her.

Eventually, he conceded. Adrien opted to get on Ladybug’s back, wrapping his arms and legs around her body. 

“Is this okay?” he asked timidly. He couldn’t remember the last time he rode piggyback.

Ladybug chuckled. “You’re good. Just hold on tight!”

She broke into a run and used a bench to launch herself into the air. Ladybug reared her arm back and chucked her yo-yo, aiming for one of the thin columns at the top of the edifice. Adrien felt the line tug right before it retracted, and up they went. The rush was quick, and his stomach dropped a little when Ladybug came down to land on the rooftops.

“Not afraid of heights, are you?” he heard Ladybug ask. He could tell she was amused.

The blond didn’t notice that he had his eyes closed until he opened them to look at her. His limbs were also squeezing a bit stronger than he intended, and he tried readjusting himself. “Sorry,” he responded with a sheepish smile. “It’s my first time traveling via yo-yo.” He didn’t know why it made him nervous; he was used to leaping over rooftops and pole-vaulting at great heights.

“You’ll get used to it,” she assured him.

Adrien nodded. “My house is right there.” He gestured to the grand mansion that now stood in plain view. “I told you it was close. If you go around the back, you’ll reach my room, and there should be a way in from there.”

“Seems like a dream home,” Ladybug commented appreciatively.

Adrien watched her take in the sight of the estate. “I guess so.”

Ladybug whipped out her yo-yo one last time to get them on top of the mansion, and together they crept over the roof in order to reach Adrien’s room. Adrien held onto her again as she lowered them down in front an open window—the same window Adrien had climbed out of earlier that night. He slipped back through the small opening while Ladybug remained outside, holding onto the wire and supporting herself with a foothold.

“Thanks for the ride, Ladybug,” Adrien said, grinning. “You really didn’t have to, though.”

“Just trying to help out.” Ladybug winked. “It’s what I’m here for, after all.”

Adrien chuckled. He appreciated the way Ladybug was able to put him at ease so effortlessly. It was like that when he was Chat Noir, too. Her being there was a constant reassurance. It took the pressure off of him.

“I suppose I’ll…see you around, then?” Adrien ventured. When Ladybug nodded, he reached up to close the window.

“Oh!” the masked girl exclaimed suddenly. “One more thing.”

Adrien paused, a bit startled. “What is it?”

Her expression softened, and when they made eye contact, Adrien could tell that she was searching for something. Ladybug was always like that; Chat Noir had picked it up on day one, and he quickly learned that it made it tough to hide things from her. She was pretty good at making people open up to reach to the heart of the matter. Her compassion was limitless. Even with their akumatized foes, Ladybug never forgot about reaching out to the people suffering underneath all that darkness. That’s what fueled her determination to liberate them.

Finally, Ladybug spoke. “Whatever it is you’re worried about, it’ll get better. I promise. For now, you should probably get some sleep while you still can.” She smiled at him. "It just seemed like you weren’t having a good night. I thought you might want to hear something nice, you know?"

Adrien was taken aback. He watched with wide eyes as Ladybug waved goodbye and disappeared into the night, off to who-knows-where.

_ Typical Ladybug, _  he thought fondly.

The black kwami emerged from under Adrien’s shirt, following his line of sight.  “Finally, time for some shut-eye,” Plagg rejoiced, yawning loudly.

“Was it really that obvious how upset I was?” Adrien asked him dejectedly as he pulled the window shut. He didn’t like the idea of his partner witnessing him like that, mask or no mask.

Plagg put his little arms up in a “How should I know?” gesture. “If you think about it,” the kwami replied, “Ladybug has always been good at figuring you out. Looks like that still applies when you’re not in costume.”

The blond pondered that for a moment. “Well, as long as she doesn’t figure out _everything_.”

* * *

Marinette landed in her room safely through the trap door of the terrace. As soon as she hit the bed, she undid her transformation and closed the trap door before collapsing onto the mattress. She was thankful that she’d already changed into her pajamas before transforming for night patrol. Her kwami materialized, hovering just above her face.

“Tikki, I’m exhausted,” Marinette moaned dramatically. “The night would have gone by so much quicker if Chat had showed up.”

“You said so yourself, Marinette,” Tikki reminded her. “He must have had something important. You’re both balancing two lives, after all.”

“Well, it still would have been nice to see him,” Marinette grumbled.

Tikki rolled her eyes playfully. “You’ll have plenty of opportunities to see him.” She watched Marinette roll over in her bed. “If you hadn’t offered to take Adrien home, you would have been back sooner. You know where his house is. He definitely could have walked.”

Marinette sighed. “I felt bad leaving him there at this hour. He’s my classmate, after all.”

“As far as he knows, Ladybug might not even go to school.” Tikki moved to get a better look at Marinette’s face.

“I don’t know, Tikki.” The girl pursed her lips. “My gut was just telling me to do _something._ ”

Adrien Agreste was a mysterious person to Marinette. While he was friendly to everyone and participated in most of their classmates’ group events, he wasn’t particularly close with anyone except Nino. He had a famous father, but he hardly mentioned the fact. Adrien was also a model student, and the teachers loved him. Still, he never talked very much about himself. 

For someone who was so involved with numerous activities, his reserved nature came as a surprise to Marinette, but she respected his space because she didn’t want to force him out of his comfort zone. Adrien didn’t usually stick around her very long, however, and as a result, they never got to talking much beyond the normal friendly greetings and small talk.

“He’s usually very composed and proper,” Marinette muttered to herself. “It was weird seeing him look so…” 

“Unhappy?” Tikki guessed. 

“Uh-huh.” Marinette’s eyebrows knit together, and she pouted. “And what was he doing outside at this hour? Something could have happened to him!”

The red kwami laughed. It was very much like Marinette to get worked up over something like this. Her ranting continued.

“Even if his house is less than ten minutes away by foot, he should be more careful. Don’t you think his dad would get worried?” The teenager huffed at her kwami, who shrugged. “I wonder what it is that’s weighing on him so much that he decided to take a midnight stroll.” 

Marinette was probably a bit of a busybody, and not knowing was bugging her. She wanted to help everyone, even if it meant stretching herself too thin. 

Tikki floated over to pat Marinette’s forehead. “Take your own advice and go to sleep, Marinette,” she suggested. “You’ve had a long day. Don’t forget: Adrien’s not the only one who has school in the morning.” The super heroine groaned into her pillow, and Tikki chuckled. “Good night, Marinette.”

“Good night, Tikki.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter made me realize that I have no idea where I'm going with this concept, and also I'm being heavily influenced by taylortot's "heartstrings," so I apologize if those influences show up too blatantly. 
> 
> I just wanted something where Ladybug gives Adrien a piggyback ride because I'm lame and I thought it would be cute. Plus I needed to write angsty Adrien don't ask me why.
> 
> i think the "in which" chapter summaries will just be a thing with this fic lol


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